Are you struggling to choose MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign for your email marketing needs? You’re not alone. Many businesses find themselves at a crossroads when it comes to selecting the right platform to engage their audience and grow their brand. In the battle of MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign, which contender will emerge victorious?
In this comprehensive comparison, we’ll explore the features, ease of use, marketing features, pricing, customer support, and many other key considerations offered by MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear understanding of which platform is the best fit for your unique business requirements.
Whether you’re a small business owner looking for an affordable and user-friendly solution or an enterprise-level marketer seeking advanced automation and CRM capabilities, we’ve got you covered. Prepare yourself to explore the strengths and weaknesses of two powerful email marketing tools and make an informed decision that will take your campaigns to new heights.
Table of Contents
Ease of Use
When comparing MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign regarding ease of use, MailerLite comes out ahead. Its very intuitive and user-friendly interface makes navigating and finding the features you need easy.
The drag-and-drop email editor in MailerLite is straightforward and allows you to create professional-looking emails quickly without any coding knowledge. You can easily customize pre-designed templates or build your email layout using content blocks.
In contrast, while ActiveCampaign offers a drag-and-drop email builder, its interface is more complex overall. ActiveCampaign packs many more features, which can be overwhelming for beginners. The learning curve is steeper, and it may take more time to master all of ActiveCampaign’s capabilities.
However, you’ll appreciate its advanced functionality once you get oriented with ActiveCampaign’s interface. ActiveCampaign offers more customization options in the email builder, letting you edit HTML and CSS directly.
MailerLite also gets high marks for its simplicity when building automation workflows. Its automation builder uses a clean, linear layout that’s easy to understand. ActiveCampaign’s automation builder is more flexible and feature-rich but not as intuitive.
Overall, MailerLite is the better choice if you value ease of use and want to get up and running quickly. It’s ideal for beginners or small businesses focused primarily on email marketing. But if you need ActiveCampaign’s advanced features and can invest some time in learning the platform, it can be immensely powerful.
Email Marketing Features
When comparing MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign, examining their email marketing features is crucial. Both platforms offer a range of capabilities to create, personalize, and optimize your email campaigns. Let’s dive into the key areas:
Email Templates and Design Options
A collection of email templates that can be customized may save time and enhance the appearance of your emails.
MailerLite:
Offers a variety of customizable email templates
Provides a simple and intuitive email template editor
Suitable for users who prefer straightforward design options
ActiveCampaign:
Offers a range of customizable email templates
Provides more advanced design options and flexibility
Suitable for users who want greater design control
Verdict:
ActiveCampaign offers more advanced design options and flexibility for users who require extensive control over email design
MailerLite offers a more straightforward design experience for users who prefer straightforward design options.
Personalization and Dynamic Content
Customizing your emails according to the recipient’s interests can greatly enhance their engagement and increase the likelihood of converting them into customers.
MailerLite:
Supports basic email customization options like font, color, and images
Allows adding subscriber details like name and email
ActiveCampaign:
Provides personalization options for tailored content
Supports dynamic content and conditional blocks
Allows advanced segmentation for highly targeted emails
Verdict:
ActiveCampaign provides more advanced customization options and dynamic content capabilities, making it suitable for users looking to create highly personalized and targeted email campaigns
MailerLite offers basic personalization that is suitable for more straightforward email customization needs.
MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign – A/B Testing
A/B testing helps optimize your email campaigns by comparing different versions to see which performs better.
MailerLite:
Supports A/B split testing for email campaigns
This feature enables the testing of various subject lines and email content to determine their effectiveness.
Provides basic A/B testing reports for performance analysis
ActiveCampaign:
Offers A/B testing for email campaigns
Allows testing of subject lines, content, and sender names
Provides more detailed A/B testing reports for insights
Verdict:
Both MailerLite and ActiveCampaign offer A/B testing capabilities, but ActiveCampaign provides more detailed reporting for comprehensive campaign optimization
Automated Email Sequences
Automated email sequences allow you to send timely, relevant emails based on subscriber actions or schedules.
MailerLite:
Provides a visual workflow builder for email automation
Supports basic email sequences based on time delays and actions
Allows multiple triggers in automation on higher plans
ActiveCampaign:
Offers a visual automation builder with advanced capabilities
Supports complex multi-step email sequences
Provides pre-built automation recipes for various goals
Verdict:
ActiveCampaign provides advanced email automation features, ideal for businesses with complex email sequencing needs.
MailerLite provides essential automation features that cater to more straightforward email sequence requirements.
In summary, while MailerLite and ActiveCampaign offer email marketing features, ActiveCampaign excels in providing advanced customization, personalization, A/B testing, and automation capabilities. The choice between the two platforms depends on your specific needs, budget, and the level of sophistication required for your email marketing campaigns.
Marketing Automation
When comparing MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign in terms of marketing automation capabilities, ActiveCampaign is the clear winner. While both platforms offer visual automation builders, ActiveCampaign provides a much more extensive and flexible automation system.
Visual Automation Builder
Both MailerLite and ActiveCampaign feature drag-and-drop visual automation builders that allow you to create multi-step workflows
MailerLite’s automation builder has an easy-to-navigate, linear, and intuitive layout, particularly for beginners. You can set up basic email sequences based on time delays and subscriber actions like email opens or link clicks.
In contrast, ActiveCampaign’s automation builder is more advanced and feature-rich. While it may have a steeper learning curve, it offers more flexibility and power for complex automation needs.
Automation Templates
ActiveCampaign shines with its extensive library of over 500 pre-built automation templates called “recipes”. These cover a wide range of common marketing automation scenarios such as welcome series, abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase follow-ups, and more. You can easily customize these templates with your content or use them as a starting point.
MailerLite offers fewer automation templates in comparison, with around 15 recipes for basic sequences such as welcome emails, abandoned cart, and course onboarding. While useful, the selection is much more limited than ActiveCampaign.
Automation Triggers and Actions
A key difference between MailerLite and ActiveCampaign is the range of triggers and actions available for automation.
MailerLite supports basic triggers like when someone subscribes to a list, clicks a link, or has a specific custom field value. However, it lacks some of the more advanced options.
ActiveCampaign, on the other hand, offers an impressive array of over 20 trigger options and 30 different actions. Some unique ActiveCampaign triggers include:
Website page visits
Event attendance
Specific product purchases
Changes in lead scores
This enables much more granular and targeted automation flows. ActiveCampaign also allows multiple triggers for single automation on higher-tier plans.
Multi-Channel Automation
Another advantage of ActiveCampaign is its ability to automate experiences across multiple channels beyond just email.
With ActiveCampaign’s “Conversations” feature, you can build automations that include targeted SMS messages to your subscribers. Site messages allow you to display personalized messages to contacts visiting your website.
ActiveCampaign also integrates with advertising platforms like Facebook Ads so that you can automate retargeting campaigns based on subscriber behaviors.
In contrast, MailerLite’s automations are focused solely on email. Incorporating other channels gives ActiveCampaign more flexibility in creating an omnichannel customer experience.
In summary, while MailerLite offers solid email automation features that are great for basic needs, ActiveCampaign is the more powerful tool for advanced marketing automation. Its extensive triggers, actions, and multi-channel capabilities make it the better choice for businesses looking to create sophisticated, targeted customer journeys.
Segmentation and Personalization
When comparing MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign segmentation and personalization, MailerLite and ActiveCampaign offer robust features to help you deliver targeted, relevant content to your subscribers. However, there are some key differences in their capabilities.
Contact Tagging and Custom Fields
Both platforms allow you to add tags and custom fields to your contacts for better segmentation.
MailerLite:
- Supports adding tags to contacts based on their actions or characteristics.
- Allows the creation of custom fields to store additional subscriber information.
This platform provides a user-friendly interface for organizing and modifying tags and custom fields effortlessly.
ActiveCampaign:
- Offers tagging and custom fields with more advanced options.
- Allows combining tags, custom fields, and lists for granular segmentation.
- Supports lead scoring based on tags and custom fields.
List Segmentation Options
Segmenting your email list to send targeted campaigns to specifically identified groups of subscribers is crucial.
MailerLite:
- Provides a straightforward segmentation tool based on subscriber data and behavior.
- Allows creating segments based on sign-up source, custom fields, and more.
- Supports auto-updating segments based on predefined conditions.
ActiveCampaign:
- Offers a more advanced segmentation system with complex rules and conditions.
- Allows combining lists, tags, and custom fields for highly specific segments.
- Provides a visual segment builder for creating advanced segments.
Dynamic Content Personalization
Personalizing email content based on subscriber data can significantly improve engagement and conversions.
MailerLite:
- Supports basic personalization using merge tags for subscriber names and other custom fields.
- Allows creating different content blocks for specific segments.
ActiveCampaign:
- Provides advanced dynamic content options for hyper-personalization.
- Supports conditional content blocks that display based on subscriber data.
- Offers predictive content that adapts based on a subscriber’s past behavior.
While MailerLite offers solid segmentation and personalization features, ActiveCampaign takes it further with more advanced options like combining segmentation criteria, visual segment builders, and predictive content. The choice between the two depends on the complexity and personalization your email marketing strategy requires.
Signup Forms and Landing Pages
When comparing MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign, both platforms offer robust features when comparing MailerLite and ActiveCampaign regarding signup forms and landing pages, but there are some key differences in their capabilities and ease of use.
Customizable templates
MailerLite and ActiveCampaign provide a range of customizable templates to help you quickly create professional-looking signup forms and landing pages. MailerLite’s templates are designed to be mobile-responsive, and the platform offers a simple drag-and-drop editor for easy customization. ActiveCampaign also provides responsive templates, but its drag-and-drop editor includes more advanced design options and flexibility, making it suitable for users who require greater control over the design.
Customization options
In terms of customization options, ActiveCampaign offers a more flexible drag-and-drop editor with advanced design capabilities. It allows users to add a broader range of content blocks and elements and provides more granular control over layout, spacing, and styling. MailerLite, on the other hand, offers a straightforward drag-and-drop editor with basic customization options for fonts, colors, and images, making it ideal for users who prefer a more straightforward design experience.
Mobile responsiveness
Mobile responsiveness ensures that signup forms and landing pages look great on various devices. MailerLite automatically optimizes forms and landing pages for mobile devices and provides a mobile preview option to test how designs will appear on different screen sizes. Similarly, ActiveCampaign ensures that forms and landing pages are mobile-friendly and offers a mobile preview feature for testing designs.
While MailerLite and ActiveCampaign offer solid features for creating signup forms and landing pages, ActiveCampaign provides more advanced customization options and design flexibility. MailerLite is a great option for users who prefer simple templates and mobile responsiveness. The best choice, however, depends on your specific design needs and technical expertise.
Integrations
Native integrations
When comparing MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign regarding integrations, both platforms offer various options to connect with other apps and services. However, ActiveCampaign boasts a more extensive library of native integrations, with over 870 apps covering multiple categories such as e-commerce, CRM, social media, and more. MailerLite, on the other hand, offers around 140 direct integrations, including popular apps for e-commerce, social media, and productivity.
Integrations with e-commerce platforms
MailerLite and ActiveCampaign provide key native integrations with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, allowing users to sync customer data and send targeted email campaigns based on purchase behavior. MailerLite also integrates with WooCommerce and WordPress, making collecting subscribers from your blog or website easy. ActiveCampaign offers deep integrations with major CRM platforms like Salesforce, enabling users to keep their marketing and sales data in sync.
Integration with Zapier
When comparing MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign, in addition to its native integrations, both platforms integrate with Zapier, enabling users to connect with thousands of other apps and automate their workflows. This greatly expands the possibilities for integrating MailerLite and ActiveCampaign with your existing tools.
While MailerLite and ActiveCampaign offer a solid range of integrations, ActiveCampaign has a more extensive library of native integrations. However, with Zapier support, both platforms can connect to thousands of additional apps and services. The best choice depends on your specific integration needs and the other tools you use in your workflow.
Reporting and Analytics
When comparing MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign, it’s essential to consider the reporting and analytics features each platform offers. Both provide reporting dashboards to help you monitor the success of your email campaigns, but ActiveCampaign offers more advanced features like geo-tracking, device tracking, and custom report creation. MailerLite’s reporting dashboard provides key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribes, as well as the ability to compare the performance of multiple campaigns side by side, all presented in a clean and intuitive interface.
Automation reporting
Regarding automation reporting, ActiveCampaign offers more detailed insights into subscriber journeys and conversion rates and the ability to track revenue generated from specific automation workflows. MailerLite provides basic reporting for automation workflows, showing the number of subscribers who entered and completed each automation and offering insights into the performance of individual emails within automation.
Engagement history
Understanding how subscribers interact with your emails is crucial for personalizing your marketing efforts. MailerLite provides a subscriber timeline showing each contact’s engagement history, allowing you to view individual subscribers’ opens, clicks, and other interactions. It also visually represents subscriber engagement levels (cold, warm, hot). ActiveCampaign, on the other hand, provides a comprehensive contact history that tracks all interactions and touchpoints, offers lead scoring based on subscriber engagement and other criteria, and allows you to create custom segments based on engagement levels and behaviors.
E-commerce tracking
E-commerce businesses should measure email marketing campaign revenue to track marketing success. Analyzing their email marketing strategies’ effectiveness and identifying areas for improvement is crucial. MailerLite offers basic e-commerce tracking for platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, allowing you to track revenue generated from email campaigns and monitor e-commerce performance metrics. ActiveCampaign provides more advanced e-commerce tracking and reporting features, deep data integration with platforms like Shopify and Magento, and the ability to create custom reports based on e-commerce metrics like revenue, average order value, and conversion rates.
MailerLite and ActiveCampaign offer robust reporting and analytics features to track email marketing performance. However, ActiveCampaign provides more advanced and comprehensive reporting capabilities, particularly in automation reporting, contact engagement insights, and e-commerce tracking. The best choice depends on the level of detail and customization you require in your reporting and analytics.
Customer Support
When comparing MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign, it’s crucial to consider each platform’s customer support level. Both offer multiple support channels, but there are some key differences in their availability and scope. MailerLite provides 24/7 email and live chat support for all paid plans, while free plan users only get email and live chat support for the first 30 days. Phone support is not available with MailerLite. On the other hand, ActiveCampaign offers email and live chat support for all paid plans, with phone support available for higher-tier plans (Plus, Professional, and Enterprise). However, ActiveCampaign’s support hours are not 24/7 and vary by region.
Self-help resources,
In terms of self-help resources, both MailerLite and ActiveCampaign provide comprehensive knowledge bases and tutorials. MailerLite offers an extensive knowledge base with articles and video tutorials and an academy with free courses on email marketing fundamentals. Similarly, ActiveCampaign maintains a detailed knowledge base with articles, guides, and FAQs and provides ActiveCampaign University with videos and learning resources.
User forums
Both platforms host active user forums to share best practices and answers to questions. MailerLite encourages users to offer expertise and support each other, while ActiveCampaign allows users to ask questions, share best practices, and showcase their success stories. Both forums are moderated to ensure helpful, accurate information and maintain a supportive environment.
In summary, MailerLite and ActiveCampaign offer various customer support options, such as email, live chat, knowledge bases, tutorials, and community forums. MailerLite stands out with its 24/7 email and live chat support for all paid plans, while ActiveCampaign offers phone support for higher-tier plans. Both platforms provide extensive self-help resources and active community forums to empower users and foster collaboration.
Pricing
Pricing is a crucial factor to consider when comparing MailerLite vs. ActiveCampaign. Both platforms offer different pricing plans and tiers based on the number of contacts and features included.
MailerLite
MailerLite offers a straightforward and affordable pricing structure that caters to businesses of all sizes. With a generous free plan and competitively priced paid plans, MailerLite ensures you can access powerful email marketing features without breaking the bank.
Whether you’re just starting or looking to scale your email marketing efforts, MailerLite has a plan that fits your needs. The free plan allows you to have a maximum of 1,000 subscribers and send up to 12,000 emails monthly. Making it an excellent choice for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
As your business grows and you require more features, you can upgrade to a paid plan hassle-free and without interruption, starting at just $10 monthly for 1,000 subscribers. Paid plans offer additional features like unlimited emails, advanced automation, and priority support.
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign offers pricing plans to fit businesses of all sizes and requirements. Paid plans that start from around $29 per month for 1,000 contacts. ActiveCampaign provides a comprehensive email marketing suite, marketing automation, and CRM features.
As your contact list grows, ActiveCampaign’s pricing scales accordingly, ensuring you only pay for what you need. The platform offers four main pricing tiers: Lite, Plus, Professional, and Enterprise, each with an increasing set of features and capabilities.
Whether you’re a small business looking to automate your email marketing or a larger enterprise requiring advanced CRM and sales automation tools, ActiveCampaign has a plan to fit your requirements. The company offers a 14-day free trial to try out the platform before subscribing to a paid plan to ensure it meets your needs.
In summary, while both MailerLite and ActiveCampaign offer a variety of pricing plans and tiers, MailerLite is generally more affordable, especially for businesses with smaller contact lists. ActiveCampaign’s pricing becomes more competitive as contact lists grow, and it offers more advanced features at higher tiers. MailerLite’s free plan and generous trial make it an attractive option for those just starting out or with limited budgets.
Unique Selling Points
When comparing MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign, it’s essential to consider each platform’s unique selling points and key differentiators. While both offer robust email marketing features, they have distinct strengths that set them apart.
MailerLite’s Unique Selling Points
Simplicity and Ease of Use
One of MailerLite’s standout features is its user-friendly interface and straightforward design. The platform is user-friendly and easy to use, making it an excellent option for beginners or those who prefer a more straightforward email marketing solution.
Affordable Pricing and Generous Free Plan
MailerLite offers a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 monthly emails, making it a cost-effective option for small businesses and those just starting.
Drag-and-Drop Editor and Templates
MailerLite’s drag-and-drop editor is a key differentiator. Users can now create and customize professional-looking emails with ease, using a variety of responsive templates that adjust to different screen sizes without the need for coding knowledge.
ActiveCampaign’s Unique Selling Points
Advanced Automation and Segmentation
ActiveCampaign is known for its powerful marketing automation capabilities, which allow users to create complex, trigger-based email sequences. The platform offers advanced segmentation options for targeted campaigns based on user behavior and preferences.
Integrated CRM and Sales Automation
A unique feature of ActiveCampaign is its built-in CRM and sales automation tools, enabling businesses to manage the entire customer journey in a single platform from lead generation to post-purchase follow-up.
Predictive Content and Machine Learning
ActiveCampaign utilizes machine learning to provide predictive content recommendations, helping users deliver more personalized and relevant email campaigns. Many email marketing platforms lack the unique capability that sets this one apart.
Key Differentiators
While both platforms offer automation and segmentation, ActiveCampaign provides more advanced options, making it better suited for businesses with complex email marketing needs. MailerLite prioritizes simplicity and ease of use, making it an excellent choice for those who value a user-friendly experience.
Another key differentiator is the target audience. MailerLite is geared towards small businesses, startups, and solopreneurs, while ActiveCampaign caters to a broader range of companies, including larger enterprises.
In summary, MailerLite’s unique selling points revolve around its simplicity, affordability, and user-friendly design, while ActiveCampaign stands out for its advanced automation, integrated CRM, and predictive content capabilities. The choice between the two depends on your business needs, budget, and desired level of complexity in your email marketing efforts.
Use Cases
When comparing MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign, it’s important to consider the types of businesses best suited for each platform and how they can be used effectively. Although both tools offer robust email marketing features, they cater to different audiences and use cases.
Types of Businesses Best Suited for MailerLite
MailerLite is an excellent email marketing platform for small businesses, startups, and solopreneurs who value simplicity and ease of use. Its straightforward features and user-friendly interface make it perfect for those with limited technical knowledge who are just starting out.
Some types of businesses that can benefit from MailerLite include:
Bloggers and content creators looking to build and engage their audience
E-commerce businesses that create targeted email campaigns and automate their marketing efforts
Non-profit organizations seeking an affordable way to communicate with supporters and donors
Types of Businesses Best Suited for ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign, on the other hand, is better suited for businesses that require advanced automation, CRM functionality, and robust integrations. Its powerful features make it a good fit for companies that have more complex marketing needs and want to create highly personalized customer experiences
Businesses that can benefit from ActiveCampaign include:
Mid-sized companies and enterprises that need to manage multiple marketing channels and sales processes
E-commerce businesses that want to leverage advanced segmentation and predictive content for targeted campaigns
B2B companies that rely on lead scoring, sales automation, and CRM integration to nurture prospects and close deals
MailerLite Example Use Cases
A food blogger uses MailerLite to send weekly recipe newsletters to their subscribers. They create visually appealing emails using MailerLite’s drag-and-drop editor and include product recommendations from their affiliate partners.
An online clothing store uses MailerLite to create automated email sequences for new subscribers, abandoned cart reminders, and post-purchase follow-ups. They also use MailerLite’s segmentation features to send targeted promotions based on customer preferences.
ActiveCampaign Example Use Cases
A software company uses ActiveCampaign to manage its lead nurturing process. It creates complex automation workflows that send personalized content based on a lead’s behavior and engagement level and uses ActiveCampaign’s CRM to track interactions with sales teams.
An e-commerce store specializing in home decor utilizes ActiveCampaign to create targeted email campaigns based on customers’ browsing behavior and purchase history. It also uses ActiveCampaign’s predictive content feature to recommend products and offer personalized discounts.
MailerLite is ideal for individuals and small businesses, as it prioritizes simplicity and ease of use. At the same time, ActiveCampaign is perfect for companies that require advanced automation, CRM features, and extensive integrations. By understanding each platform’s unique strengths and examining relevant use cases, businesses can make an informed decision when choosing between MailerLite and ActiveCampaign.
Conclusion
In this comprehensive comparison of MailerLite vs ActiveCampaign, we’ve explored the key differences between these two popular email marketing platforms. Both tools offer robust features and capabilities but cater to different types of businesses and user preferences.
Recap of Key Differences
Ease of Use: MailerLite is known for its simplicity and user-friendly interface, Making it an excellent choice for beginners and those who value ease of use. ActiveCampaign has advanced features and customization options, which may require learning.
For small businesses, startups, and solopreneurs who prioritize simplicity and affordability, MailerLite is an excellent choice. Its user-friendly interface, drag-and-drop editor, and straightforward automation make it easy to create professional email campaigns without breaking the bank.
Automation: ActiveCampaign offers more advanced automation capabilities, allowing users to create complex, trigger-based email sequences and multi-channel automation. MailerLite provides basic automation features suitable for more straightforward email marketing needs.
CRM and Sales Automation: ActiveCampaign stands out with its built-in CRM and sales automation tools, which enable businesses to manage their entire customer journey within a single platform. MailerLite does not offer a native CRM solution.
Pricing: MailerLite is generally more affordable, with a generous free plan and lower-priced paid plans. ActiveCampaign’s pricing is higher but offers more advanced features and scalability for growing businesses.
Recommendations Based on Business Needs and Preferences
For businesses that require advanced automation, CRM functionality, and robust integrations, ActiveCampaign is the better option. Companies with complex marketing needs and those looking to create highly personalized customer experiences can benefit from its powerful features and customization options.
If you’re starting with email marketing and have a limited budget, MailerLite’s free and lower-priced paid plans make it an attractive choice. As your business grows and your needs become more complex, you may consider upgrading to ActiveCampaign for its advanced capabilities.
If you heavily rely on sales automation and CRM features, ActiveCampaign is the clear winner. Its native CRM and deep integrations with popular sales tools make it a comprehensive solution for managing your customer journey.
In conclusion, MailerLite and ActiveCampaign are powerful email marketing tools that effectively communicate with audiences and grow brands. By understanding the critical differences between these platforms and considering your unique business needs and preferences, you can make an informed decision and choose the tool that best suits your goals.
For an in depth review of ActiveCampaign and MailerLite
